Shrimp and Grits
Made famous by Crooks Corner restaurant in Chapel Hill, NC; this dish is now a staple at brunch all across the south. It seems as though there are as many variations as there are places that serve this iconic dish.
If you live in an area near water, don’t settle for anything less than the freshest shrimp. Avoid shrimp that aren’t firm and that have little black dots on the heads. These are good signs that your shrimpys may not be the freshest. And of course, avoid like crazy, any seafood that has a strong, nasty aroma. Come to think of it, that’s a good rule for all food. If you live in a more landlocked locale and have to settle for frozen shrimp, never fear. Many delicious batches of shrimp and grits have been made with frozen shrimp.
One yummy component of this recipe is something I hope you can find regardless of your geographic location: thick cut bacon. Spring for the best stuff you can find. Not only does the bacon itself taste better but the better the bacon the more pure it’s curing process.
And that brings us to the absolute most important, non negotiable part of shrimp and grits: the grits. In short, except nothing less than old fashioned, stone ground grits. If you’re fortunate enough to have a local purveyor of old fashioned, stone ground grits at a grocery store or farmers market by all means buy local. If not, Amazon has a great selection of grits only a click away. Whole foods, in their self serve bin section, also has pretty respectable grits. If all you’ve ever had in life has been instant grits in the microwave, prepare to have your life changed. There is just no substitute for old fashioned grits.
Ingredients and Instructions
- 1 lb shrimp peeled
- 6 strips bacon
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Cayenne pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium jalapeno pepper diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 stalk celery diced
- 1 onion diced
- 3 cloves of garlic diced
- 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
- 3 tablespoons of AP flour
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon green onions chopped
- 1 teaspoon parsley chopped
Place shrimp in a large bowl. Add lemon juice, a light sprinkle of salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Let sit while you cook your bacon.
In a large skillet cook bacon until crispy. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in the skillet. Add shrimp to skillet and cook on medium heat until just done (about 3 minutes). Remove shrimp from skillet and set aside. Add butter to skillet and allow it to melt. Add peppers, celery, and onion and cook until softened (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and thyme. Cook for another 5 minutes or so, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook until roux is slightly browned, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn (about 10 minutes). Add stock and cream and bring to a simmer. Let sauce reduce for about 5 minutes. Stir every couple of minutes. Return shrimp to the skillet and cook until just warmed through. Add a dash of kosher salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Serve over cheddar cheese grits (recipe below) and top with green onions and parsley.
Cheddar Cheese Grits
- 3 cups chicken stock or water
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup stone ground grits
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Bring stock, cream, and salt to a boil in a large pot. Whisk in grits. Stir often as the grits are going to want to clump up on you. Cook for about twenty minutes. When grits are almost done add butter and cheese a little handful at a time. Stir until everything is melted.
